Great songs never played live

[Lynz778]

That's not live in the sense that it was played to an audience.

It was performed at a closed, private rehearsal on 6 August 1992 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. However, one fan outside the venue just happened to tape it.

Acrobat has never been performed publicly.

Ahh ok that makes sense. There is a lot of crowd noise though it really sounded like a live performance. It's quite a nice version!

 

[Axver]

Ahh ok that makes sense. There is a lot of crowd noise though it really sounded like a live performance. It's quite a nice version!

Yeah, a fair crowd was gathered outside the stadium when U2 were rehearsing that evening. The next night, they held a public rehearsal, but didn't perform Acrobat. That public rehearsal is notable as the sole ZooTV show opened by a song other than Zoo Station, Sunday Bloody Sunday.

 

[gman]

Electrical Storm, especially the guitar.

Was listening to this yesterday...and it could so easily be played live. Bono on acoustic....edge doing his bit etc etc. There is no complicated layers in this song, at least, any that could prevent it being pulled off live.
And could easily be ahighlight, as I know a few non u2 fans who really love this song.

 

[gman]

Axver...i can catagorically state that Some days are better than others was sound checked for glasgow zoo tv tour. wasnt played live as u will know! It was that, Numb and Zooropa that were being played over and over. There are worse ways to pass the day!!

 

[powerhour24]

Oh Electrical Storm...the world would be a better place with you live.

It would also be great if they played Fast Cars well, and once when they started playing Vertigo, just randomly play Native Son instead haha.

 

[SuperFlyguy]

Red Hill Mining Town


It would be nice to see them play that song live since I don't believe they ever have.

 

[intedomine]

Promenade

Heartland

Luminous Times

Are You Gonna Wait Forever

 

[coolian2]

Yeah, a fair crowd was gathered outside the stadium when U2 were rehearsing that evening. The next night, they held a public rehearsal, but didn't perform Acrobat. That public rehearsal is notable as the sole ZooTV show opened by a song other than Zoo Station, Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Am i the only one who thinks they were looking at Acrobat -> Zoo Station?


How cool would that have been?

 

[Axver]

Axver...i can catagorically state that Some days are better than others was sound checked for glasgow zoo tv tour. wasnt played live as u will know! It was that, Numb and Zooropa that were being played over and over. There are worse ways to pass the day!!

Damn, totally missed this post of yours the first time around. I'm surprised the band was soundchecking SDABTO as it doesn't really strike me as a candidate for a riveting live song, despite the fact I rate it more highly than many on Interference do.

Do you remember which night's soundcheck you heard, the first or the second? Or were SDABTO, Numb, and Zooropa soundchecked both nights? I'd like to add it - especially SDABTO - to U2VT but I need to know which concert to add it to.

 

[Blue Room]

Am i the only one who thinks they were looking at Acrobat -> Zoo Station?


How cool would that have been?

Supposedly thats what they were thinking of doing. What I heard at the time is that Bono would appear on the B stage through a fog (dry ice) with a lone spotlight on him without the Fly shades or the black leather coat on. He would play Acrobat as you hear in the rehearsal and stroll back up the ramp while it was being played and then disappear behind the stage. Then the whole George Bush Rap thing would go and they would do Zoo Station and he would emerge as The Fly from the top as was actually done for the tour.

Definately would have been interesting. But honestly they probably made the right choice in not going with it as it would have been odd and sort of disjointed. What they should have done though is put The Acrobat in during the acoustic set at least occassionally.

 

[phillyfan26]

I've never heard the Acrobat live version. For some reason my computer only downloads save file songs, and no one's ever had it on there.

 

[U2mixer]

...What they should have done though is put The Acrobat in during the acoustic set at least occassionally.

Naw. Acrobat is a great song because of the power of the track. A stripped down version would be just that - stripped of all its emotion and passion. Look what they did to So Cruel (shudder)!

Acrobat is a classic and it's a shame that they never played it live (during a concert), but we all need to move on - including me

 

[Blue Room]

Naw. Acrobat is a great song because of the power of the track. A stripped down version would be just that - stripped of all its emotion and passion. Look what they did to So Cruel (shudder)!

Acrobat is a classic and it's a shame that they never played it live (during a concert), but we all need to move on - including me

Actually I dont even really care for Acrobat. I like Edge's solo but thats about it. I just think they worked on an acoustic version of it in rehearsal, they could have used it at some point for some variety. Something that was really lacking on the Zoo tour even by U2 standards.

 

[ultraviolet92]

they cant do red hill mining town becasue bono cant sing those high notes anymore.

but i think is he on stage with all the momentum and everything he could it would just sound great bono reaching for those high notes.

and the roar of the crowd when the intro comes in

 

[pepokiss]

I would've loved to see ACROBAT on the ZooTV tour, but like this:


1) after Satelite of Love, replacing BAD or whatever...

the song would create great momentum, go to that GREAT Edge solo, and the amazing finale, but with a twist...

"you know that the tide is turning 'round
so don't let the bastards..."

that's when Larry hits a cymbal and everyone stops, dead silent, for Bono to say (with some time to spear):

"griiiiiiiind youuuuuuuu DOWN!"

in "DOWN!", Bullet The Blue Sky begins



--------------

2) after Love is Blindness

Bono extends the last blindness:

"take my heart... it's blindleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess" (like form Unchained Melody to UTEOTW)

some interference starts flipping around on the TVs, noise coming out form everywhere, kinda like between RTSS and WTSHNN...

Acrobat begins, the drums go crazy like, pounding and pounding, with anger, so is Bono's singing, Edge's guitar is trully on fire, and Adam does what he does best...

adding to all of this, all the words of the song appear on the screens, like on The Fly, but really the lyrics, along with Sarajevo or war showings, because ACROBAT is quite an apocaliptic song.

That way, the lyrics on the screen is like U2's message to the audience... an audience that only gets it in the final part:

IF YOU CAN DREAM, THEN DREAM OUT LOUD

IN DREAMS BEGIN, RESPONSABILITIES


and the biggest message of them all:

DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN

in that last line they should slow down a bit, making the effort for the people to really get the message. Then comes a MASIVE FINALE, all screens going mental, so is MacPhisto (the angel of apocalipsis), The Edge TRULY on fire, channel surfing going insane, images and lightning really crazy, the band making a hell of a lot of noise...

and then, all of the sudden, the music gets shut down, as all the televisions do too, like someone pulling the plug on all the energy... (well, for doing that, they should REALLY pull the plug on U2)


that's the end of the show, no goodbyes from the band, they go in darkness.

and the people gets the message


x 20

 

[coolian2]

I like the cut into Bullet idea

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

they cant do red hill mining town becasue bono cant sing those high notes anymore.

but i think is he on stage with all the momentum and everything he could it would just sound great bono reaching for those high notes.

and the roar of the crowd when the intro comes in

"roar of the crowd"? Sorry, but I'm aksing myself, in which world you live. "Red Hill Mining Town" – by the way, one of my favourite tunes from TJT – would be recognized only by some die-hard fans, who do really care for (elder) albums and non-singles, non-Greatest Hits.
For the majoriry this epic tune would provoke following reaction: "What's that?", "I'll go to buy a beer", "I'm gonna call" etc. It's sad, but there wouldn't be any mass roar anymore. Take the reactions even here on the forum for the splendid double "An Cat Dubh"/"Into The Heart", U2 delivered live in 2005 – and you'll see, that unfortunately your kind of enthusiasm would not fit the mass taste of a stadium crowd these days. Or why do you think, U2 do play such special songs like "One Tree Hill" or "Spanish Eyes" only at these places, where they are to be recognized and appreciated?

 

[Adams_Girl]

Heartland and Acrobat

 

[cobl04]

I'm not too huge of a fan of the album version of OSC, but I have a feeling that live, it would be fantastic. More clearly defined guitar, a bit more substance to it. Or perhaps stripped down, with a strumming acoustic performance, not unlike Stay during Elevation... the possibilities are endless

I too reckon it would be fantastic live. I think they'll try it next tour; it's not like it'd be hard to play or anything.

 

[Mr. V]

For the millionth time

OSC > Streets ala AIWIY > Streets @ Slane.

 

[U2girl]

"roar of the crowd"? Sorry, but I'm aksing myself, in which world you live. "Red Hill Mining Town" – by the way, one of my favourite tunes from TJT – would be recognized only by some die-hard fans, who do really care for (elder) albums and non-singles, non-Greatest Hits.
For the majoriry this epic tune would provoke following reaction: "What's that?", "I'll go to buy a beer", "I'm gonna call" etc. It's sad, but there wouldn't be any mass roar anymore. Take the reactions even here on the forum for the splendid double "An Cat Dubh"/"Into The Heart", U2 delivered live in 2005 – and you'll see, that unfortunately your kind of enthusiasm would not fit the mass taste of a stadium crowd these days. Or why do you think, U2 do play such special songs like "One Tree Hill" or "Spanish Eyes" only at these places, where they are to be recognized and appreciated?